John Hutton Balfour 920329 222705015 2008-06-30T18:34:52Z Johnbibby 2016115 '''John Hutton Balfour''' ([[Edinburgh]] [[September 15]], [[1808]]–[[February 11]], [[1884]], [[Inverleith House]], Edinburgh]]) was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[botanist]]<ref>[http://www.nls.uk/scientists/details.cfm?id=2 John Hutton Balfour's biography] at [[National Library of Scotland]]</ref>. He became [[Professor]] of [[Botany]] first at the [[University of Glasgow]] in [[1841]], and then moved to [[Edinburgh University]], also becoming Regius Keeper of the [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh]] and [[Her Majesty's Botanist]] in Scotland in [[1845]], which posts he held until [[1879]]. He was awarded the degree of LLD by Edinburgh University, Glasgow University and [[St Andrews University]] in 1879. Balfour was educated at the [[Royal High School]] in Edinburgh and then studied at [[St. Andrews University]] and Edinburgh University, graduating with degrees of M.A. and then M.D., the latter in 1832. His original intention had been to seek ordination in the Church of Scotland but instead started medical practice in Edinburgh in 1834 after studying abroad. With an interest in botany, and a botanical knowledge which he continued to expand, Balfour was prominent in the moves to establish the Botanical Society of Edinburgh in 1836 and the Botanical Club in 1838. In 1840 he began giving lectures on botany with some success and in 1841 he became Professor of Botany at Glasgow University. In 1845, Balfour was appointed [[Professor of Botany]] at Edinburgh University and nominated Keeper of the [[Royal Botanic Garden]] in Edinburgh. He was for many years Dean of the Medical Faculty, Edinburgh University. Under his care the Royal Botanic Garden was enlarged and improved and a palm-house, arboretum, and teaching accommodation was built. His publications include botanical text-books such as Manual of botany (1848), Class book of botany (1852), Outlines of botany (1854), and Elements of botany for schools (1869), Botanist's companion (1860), Introduction to palaeontological botany (1872), and The plants of scripture. He also contributed to the article on botany in the 8th edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Balfour retired in 1879. California's foxtail pine is named ''[[Pinus balfouriana]]'' Balf. after him. {{botanist|Balf.|Balfour, John Hutton}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{wikisource author|John Hutton Balfour}} *{{cite book | last = Balfour | first = John Hutton | title = A manual of botany: being an introduction to the study of the structure, physiology, and classification of plants | url = http://www.archive.org/details/manualofbotanybe00balfiala | accessdate = 2008-05-10 | date = 1851 | publisher = J. J. Griffin }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Balfour, John Hutton}} [[Category:Scottish botanists]] [[Category:Bryologists|Balfour, John Hutton]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society|Balfour, John Hutton]] [[Category:1808 births|Balfour, John Hutton]] [[Category:1884 deaths|Balfour, John Hutton]] {{botanist-stub}} {{Scotland-scientist-stub}} [[de:John Hutton Balfour]] [[es:John Hutton Balfour]] [[fr:John Hutton Balfour]] [[pt:John Hutton Balfour]] [[sv:John Hutton Balfour]]